LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 July 1932, Page 8

LEAGUE FOOTBALL

TO-MORROW’S MATCHES. Wingham Park will be without a senior match to-morrow, but the meeting of Pirates and Runanga juniors should be well worth witnessing. Both teams have good combination, are evenly matched, and play the open game, so that there should no dull moments during the play. Marist seniors have the bye, and at Mawheraiti, Brunner meet Waiuta. Blackball followers will see their team in action against Runanga. Blackball’s strength in the field is reported to be steadily improving, and as they have the record of being a difficult team to overcome on their own grounds, a good game should result. Lower-grade matches will be played at Ngahere, Blackwater, and Wingham Park. Brunner seniors v. Waiuta at Mawheraiti to-morrow: Jones, Hawken, Becks, Anderson, Cutbush, Wooster, Kitto, Hallinan, Hunt, Hatton, Creagh, Ross, Wilson. Bus leaves Wallsend at 12.30 p.m. Marist Thirds v. Brunner, at 1.15 p.m., to-morrow (bus leaves Club Hotel at 1 p.m.)—Garth, Greaney, Duffy (2), Lord, Morel,. Crase, Carter, Wilson, Power, Grogan, Knapp, Sequin. Emergency: Messenger. SERVICES RECOGNISED. PRESENTATION TO MRS WINGHAM A pleasant gathering took place at the residence of Mrs J. D. Wingham. Lydia Street, last evening, when several members of the West Coast Rugby League Management Committee, and their wives, and friends, met to show their appreciation for what the late Mr J. D. Wingham, and Mrs Wingham, had accomplished over a period of many years, for the League code, on the West Coast. Guests present were, Mr and Mrs A. H. McKane, Mr and' Mrs C. Hall, Mi' and Mrs W. Barlow, Mr and Mrs L. O’Neill, Mr A. Mclntyre, Misses L. Mclntyre, and N. McKane, Messrs G. Scott, R, Williams, P. McEnaney, W. Ryan and R. Harrington. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs L. Hunter and A. Beban.

Mr McKane, President of the West Coast Rugby League Centre, in making a presentation of a handsome oak dining table, referred to the active part taken by the late Mr. Wingham, in the League code, he having been connected with the game since its infancy on the West Coast, and in later years becoming known as the “father” of the code. Now that Mrs Wingham had retired from public life, the League felt, as a sporting body, that it would like to show its appreciation, in some small measure, for the valuable years of work, and the big things accomplished by the late Mi' Wingham and the hostess, for League on the West Coast. For something like eighteen years, the League had held its committee meetings in the various hotels conducted by the Wingham family, . and during that long period the family had shown the greatest kiiidness to the different Management Committees and the footballers. It was with feelings of pwasure that they gathered around the presentation table for ( the first time, and on behalf of the West Coast Rugby League, Mr McKane expressed the hope that the happy hours, spent last evening, were but the beginning of many joyful evenings, which Mrs Wingham would spend while bringing up her family. . ' Messrs. W. Ryaji and C. Hall, VicePresidents of the League, and Mr R. Harrington, Secretary, made eulogistic reference to the support given -to the game, by the late Mr Wingham, and Mrs Wingham, Mr Hall stating that the name “Wingham” would rightly, never be forgotten in the League code, as a monument to the family’s services had been erected, in the naming’of the League grounds, as “Wingham Park.” Mrs Wingham returned thanks to the League, expressing her sincere appreciation of the kind sentiments spoken, and the handsome gift, which would be treasured by herself and her family, as a memento of true friendship with the code. During the evening a euchre tournament was held, the prizes being won by Mrs C. Hall and Mr R. Williams. Miss McKane assisted in an enjoyable evening, with recitations, and a dainty supper was served.